Writing Apollo's Odds-and-Ends (Content PG to PG-13)

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Incinermyn

For the miscellaneous shorts that I planned on posting originally, but only recently got around to doing...

Side note: Spoiler tags added after taking into serious consideration a discussion DNA and I had regarding their use in writing forums.


Table of Contents (Short Stories)
I. Lupine (One-Shot): Here
II. Devout (Prologue: Allegiance)
III. Devout (Chapter One: Devotion)

Table of Contents (Poetry)
I. Tributes to the Wild (Short poems): Here
II. The Heart Savage
III. Nothing Wrong With That?
IV. Twilight's Beckons
V. "Lamentation"
VI. "Nostalgia"
VII. The Storm's Wrath

Lupine (one-shot)

Rating: PG for some violence, coarse language, and weird humor
Disclaimer: As a fan writer, I own no part of the Pokémon franchise, its subsidies, etc. This piece is an original fanfic based on Nintendo’s series, though the characters and settings are my own.
_______________________________

The forest was always so peaceful at twilight. With the waning of the sun, the creatures whom were about during the day always hid from us. For this, I do not blame them. After all, we are wolves. It is our time. At least, that is how I liked to remember it.

That one evening was amongst the quietest I’d ever known. There were no sounds to be heard for miles around, none but those of Father and I as we trekked down one of the deep paths away from our den.

Of our clan’s members, Father was by far the strongest. A beast whose stature easily cleared six feet, his body was clad in chain mail save the helmet covering his brow and upper maw to part of the back of his head, the protective shell covering his torso and part of the his abdomen’s backside, and the areas from his hind legs back that were bare. The part of his form that was unexposed was very muscular. But it saddens me that this regal creature I had never truly seen, only sensed.

His silence as we walked this eve I found somewhat unnerving. Not unusual considering that I didn’t get as much attention as my siblings, but since we were here by ourselves the least he could have done was stuck up some conversation.

“Father? Where are we going?” I finally asked.

“Somewhere special… And we are nearly there,” he replied. His was a stern bass. Comparatively, my voice was far less robust yet hinted gruffness.

I had always considered myself somewhat of an oddity amongst my brethren. The last to mature and still blind afterwards, I felt as though Father never much cared for me. This seemed to confirm it, but he did say this was somewhere special. And he insisted that only we go together tonight. I was more than elated to be here with him!

After a few moments, the rugged beast ahead of me stopped. I walked up to his side and sensed around the area before us.

It was a fairly open grove with little shrubbery between the trees surrounding it on all sides. The air also seemed to be completely still, not even a gentle breeze blew here. I found it a little disturbing because of that…

Yet, I found myself ambling slowly into the copse. As I did, I felt the presence of something as it sat perched in the trees above. I couldn’t tell what the creature was in its entirety, just that it was a tall biped with what I took to be a long and bushy tail. There was no malice I sensed from it, only inquisition.

“Father? What is this place?” I asked as I reached the center of the field.

I heard the shifting links of his mail as he came up behind me. Then, the long metal talons attached to a ring around the pads of each forepaw that arced out several inched in front of his toes seemed to make a sound like they were rubbing against each other. Strange… Was he sharpening them before we went hunting tonight?

Turning about, the solitary eyeball on my mask seemed to focus on the glower Father was making from across the way. Next, I felt a shockwave of hatred emanate from him.

“Once a generation, a traitor emerges. He whose thoughts are impure…one who questions the sacred bylaws that dictate the pack’s actions. It is these whom must be disposed,” Father stated as he began to come towards me slowly, “Like my father before me, I will slay the b****** child that dares to question my authority!”

The large wolf began to charge at me. I started to run. But, within seconds, I felt the three of his razors digging into my back!

“For you, Lord Arceus heralds no mercy, cur!” he howled at me. I turned slightly, sensing his jaws open wide. This was it!

I heard something clang with his helmet just then. A stick?

“Enough!” a man barked. Then, I felt Father’s paw and claws lift from my back.

That other creature I’d just sensed had forced him off me. But who was it?

“What are you doing?” Father roared at his attacker as I stood up.

“Cairo, get out of here!” the beast shouted at me.

I wasted no time dashing headlong into the forest ahead. There was no way I would ever look back. My savior, whomever he was, was on his own.

“Son of a…! He was supposed to die!” I heard Father shout. The sound of his voice carried far and very quickly. It easily scared the birds that were resting in the trees all around.

I ran for a while before coming to a small ditch concealed by the base of an immense oak tree. Surely, I would be safe here while I tried to contemplate just why Father wanted me dead.

It made little sense… I had always been loyal to the pack. There were some times when Father paid more attention to my brothers that I had questioned whether or not he’d loved me, but then Mother reassured me that he did. Were those few negative thoughts truly enough to call for my execution?

The slashes down my back were throbbing a lot! They were really painful, but didn’t seem to be that deep. I had to take care of them.

Sensing the area, there didn’t appear to be any types of fruit-bearing plants around. Only some bushes, shrubs, and several oaks and pine trees were nearby.

Saliva would have to suffice until I found Oran berries or something to eat. I immediately got into a position so I could course the wounds with my tongue. After making a few quick licks, I heard something rustling in the bushes a couple meters away.

From what I detected, the creature was a bit shorter than I and seemed disfigured… Its head was overall rounded, though it possessed a narrow elongated mouth with a lower jaw that seemed to be half-hinged or maybe broken. The mammal had a trapezoidal right ear that was missing a small portion near its top, while the left part of its head was missing and some of its brain exposed to the air. With a chest that protruded away from its abdomen and skin tight against its pelvis, this thing was literally a walking corpse, quite a surprise considering how bony its legs were. What manner of Pokémon could this be?

“Dinner…” the creature uttered as it climbed through the plant.

“If you value your life, stay your ground!” I ordered, standing up.

“Dinner…” it continued as it slowly made its way towards me. Step by step, it seemed to gawk at me more with its large blank eyes.

After it was in the clearing more, I used Confusion to force him back. Landing on its back, the demon immediately bounced back to its feet by using its long vertebrae-formed tail like a spring.

“Dinner… Want dinner…” it again muttered. Why didn’t my attack phase it?

“Get back!” I growled.

“Dinner… Want… Friend?”

The zombie stopped a few feet from me and hunched over slightly. I folded my ears back and started to snarl.

“Who are you?” I asked it.

“Oposombie… Friend want dinner?”

“What?”

“Dinner. Want dinner. Doggy…friend. Find dinner. Share?”

“You want me to find food and share it with you? Why would I do that? We just met.”

“I kill you, you don’t. No problem make dead doggy. Twin Lancing work good,” Oposombie replied as he raised his scrawny arms and wiggled the three stubby fingers with long claws he had on each paw.

I rolled my eye just then. There was no possible way this creature could…

Suddenly, the possum was on top of my back with his arms wrapped tightly around my neck. The points of his index claws were also against my throat, and were about to puncture the skin.

“Kill doggy? Make dead? Make like me? Or find dinner? You choice,” he whispered in my ear as he pressed them harder.

“Alright! But first we have to run,” I barked, readying to make a dash. Oposombie lessened his grip and dropped off.

Just then, there was a terrible howl. There was no mistaking it. Father was almost here…and he was calling for more of the pack!

I stood there, shaking violently. They said that his Eerie Bay was enough to completely terrify the bravest of Pokémon, making them completely immobile until he struck them down. This only confirmed the rumor…

“Doggy! Why scare?” Oposombie asked as he stood back up. How could he just shirk something like that off like it was nothing?

“Listen. My father just tried to kill me a short while ago, and now he’s coming to finish what he started. We have to get out of here now!”

“Doggy not run, though. Scare easy? Me help doggy.” Oposombie sat on the ground, hunched over, and started to dig. Within a split second or so, he’d disappeared into a small-sized hole.

“Want live? Come me!” he then ordered.

“I can’t fit!” I replied. There was no way I could get though that! And my digging skills were simply atrocious…

“Hold breath.”

“What?” I felt my body starting to sink into the dirt just then. I started to struggle, but only sank more quickly. Before my head was completely submerged in the earth, I took a deep breath and shut my maw tightly.

I kept sinking for a long moment before finally landing on something solid underground. Sensing that I was in a large tunnel with Oposombie, I immediately exhaled and took several breaths. The air was musty and smelled of rot, but that was probably due to the dead possum’s decayed body.

“Hiding spot good. No one find me and doggy here,” Oposombie commented.

“Where is this?”

“Cave made Diglett and Dugtrio once. Oposombie find when leave,” he continued, turning around, “Outlet! You follow.” Then, he started moving forward.

After a few seconds, I began to follow. There was no telling just where he was going to lead me, just as long as I could elude Father and my brothers.

<End Lupine>

Tributes to the Wild

1.) A wolf and rabbit
at sunrise meet. Wolf is fed.
The rabbit is dead.

2.) In the lake water,
an eagle spots its next meal.
A largemouth bass.

3.) After suppertime,
the pack turned their faces skyward,
baying at the moon.

<End Tributes to the Wild>
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

*Reopened for use...

The Heart Savage (Sestina/PG-13 for repetitive language and dark themes)

They dubbed him the ultimate weapon.
Of all creatures, he was the deadliest, a beast that rivaled the wolf.
One would have assumed this large black splendor with a flowing mane
should’ve been destined for glory, but is now fated for d*mnation,
having been created solely to bring destruction to all
who defy Cleopatra Drake, his vile master.

Cerberus had been designed to listen strictly to his master,
carrying out her bidding with the H*ll Talons, his most secretive weapons.
Emerging from his forepaws, the claws snatched life from all.
Attacking with the savagery of the wolf,
the beast killed those against his creator’s will and sent them to d*mnation.
Yet the blood of the slain never once touched his glorious mane.

Though death-bringing was his main
focus, Cerberus could not help but question his master.
He knew her desires just kept bringing him ever closer to d*mnation.
“Why should I be just a weapon?
I want to be free like the wolf!
A wild creature both feared and respected by all.”

Cerberus wanted more than anything to avenge all
he slain in Cleopatra’s name. Vowing from then on, his main
goal was to take her head with savagery equivalent to that of a wolf.
Before he could, though, he had to master
the power of his h*llish weapons,
and the very essence of d*mnation…

Utilizing these forces against his creator, Cerberus could send her soul into d*mnation.
And thus her h*ll would be with all
whom he had slain being used as a weapon.
Each victim tearing at her flesh to cause the main
suffering for his master.
None of them showing any mercy, and attacking as if they were wolves.

Just looking similar to one, though, Cerberus knew he could never truly be a wolf.
He would never be free of his terrible d*mnation,
much less the fate decided for him by his master.
She deemed him a threat to herself above all
else, and so this creature with his beautiful mane
was to be sealed away, no longer to be used as a weapon.

In suspension Cerberus waits away from all, surrounded by the shroud of his mane.
No more following his master’s decrees, but forever the weapon is trapped.
His d*mnation… Never to be free again, and never to be like the wolf…

About the Character
Twilight Metalupus (codename: Cerberus XD) was a permanent Shadow Pokémon I originally exercised in the rough draft of my fanfic Feral Twilight. Created as a guardian beast by the Ronac deity Otulp, he had been given the chance to live outside of the dreamtime world of Beyi Quofyi thanks to an experiment funded by Cleopatra Drake, the president of the Zenith Corporation and head of the similarly named crime syndicate. His satanic powers are derived from the dark memories and evil thoughts that inhabit the minds of all people (since he was born in the realm where the ancient Dallinos and Meradai tribes believed all consciousness in the multiverse converged). However, as part of Otulp’s deal with Cleopatra, this beast had to obey every command that she gave him without question (many of which involved killing off her enemies). At one point, though, he began to reason against her motives and it was then she decided to just have him sealed away so that he could never have the opportunity to turn his ungodly attacks on her.
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

I believe this is a wonderful idea! I enjoy tidbits of literature juxtaposed together – it makes for a diverse and satisfying read. I was contemplating whether or not to do the same. I have a few arbitrary perspectives collecting digital and physical dust...

I enjoyed the congregation of haiku poetry, Tributes to the Wild. Haiku poetry is incredibly simplistic, yet powerful. It harbours something deeper...something meaningful. I only read nine lines, yet it painted imagery in my brain. I could envision the raw energy fueling the wild. I understood the natural balance, how the cycle of life isn't as cruel as it is erroneously believed. It is simply a way of life – to survive. This is simply my interpretation of it, however. That is the beauty of poetry, one stanza can have a multitude of answers...sometimes, it is never meant to be deciphered. I especially liked the third haiku; it elicits a sense of harmonious fruition, which is perfect to conclude the entourage, as it were :3

I found the sestina to be very intriguing. The envoi was nicely done – it has a sense of hopelessness... of ultimate dejection. I noticed the integration of all six concluding words, which is quite impressive. I admire how you phrased everything here, it fits very nicely with the theme and the poetic timbre. I did notice a few things:

Though death-bringing was his main
focus, Cerberus...

I noticed that the homonyms main and mane are used interchangeably throughout the sestina. Was this intentional word play? I am curious as to whether or not this is permitted in a sestina – just in case the style in question is used in a future contest.

and attacking as if wolves.

The word 'like' might be better suited here, or perhaps rephrasing:

and attacking as if they were wolves.

Before he could, though, he had master/the power of his h*llish weapons,

Just a little bit of odd grammar structure: “he had master the power of...” A suggestion would be to add a “to”.

Before he could, though, he had to master
the power of his h*llish weapons,

Overall, great work! :)

P.S. - I have a question, pertaining to poetry: Do you have to capitalize the start of every line, or only new sentences? Is it okay to capitalize every line, regardless?
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

Thanks for reading, UU. I originally started this for side projects I hadn't really worked on too much. But, all the same, I decided I wanted to continue using it.

Some notes on my short poems: if you pay close enough attention, you'd notice that only one's really a haiku, while the others are just one syllable too short. Originally I had them all in the five-seven-five format, but I cut down two a little at the recommendation of my Creative Writing professor since she thought that they sounded better one word shorter. In any case, they're still decent.

My sestina on the other hand was a little tricker and I'm not so fond of it. I got the proper format but I think it needs a lot of work to be truly poetic. Thanks for a couple pointers on it, though.

To answer some of your questions, though... There are a few tricks you can get away with in the sestina, including word replacement using homonyms. Also, in terms of formatting, capitalization at the beginning is really a requirement, I think, but I have seen some writers just continue on as though they were writing a regular sentence after line-breaks occur, so it may also be a personal preference (I don't write a lot of poetry myself, so you may want to look it up on your own since I'm honestly unsure).
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

Apollo the Incinermyn said:
if you pay close enough attention, you'd notice that only one's really a haiku

Oh, I did notice that (chuckles). The interesting thing about haiku poetry is that it isn't always seventeen syllables – at least, when translated. You probably know this, but just a quirky thought to anyone else reading this:

Original Japanese haiku has mora – phonetic units used in Japanese verse. A mora does not behave nor count the same way as a syllable, which is why a haiku with seventeen mora may only equal fifteen syllables...or a similar variant. I have seen shorter and longer haiku, where there was one less or one more syllable than the 'standard'. In my opinion, English haiku shouldn't always be 5-7-5. I suppose there has to be a standard when adopting a foreign poetry format. I like leniency, though. That's just my perspective on it, however. :)

My personal preference is to capitalize every line in poetry, mainly for aesthetic purposes. It has been a very long time since I even attempted poetry, which is why I had enquired. I am probably horrible nowadays.

Will you be uploading more literary pieces here? :3
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

I actually did know about mora. My professor took me aside one time and told me a little more about some of the tricks of writing short poems and mentioned that some of the stuff that translated from original Japanese verses of haiku usually came out to be one or so syllables more or less than they otherwise would have in English. She also said that haiku itself was strictly about nature and that the American pop culture kind of twisted into an entirely different thing (she didn't mention the name of the style, but I did recall someone on another site mentioning the term 'senryu' to describe haiku-style poems about anything else besides nature...don't hold me to that, though, since it's just something I read randomly) Personally, I've never really cared if my poetry matched a style exactly since I usually don't write a lot of it to begin with.

Also, I do plan to continue using this thread for other works. I just hadn't gotten anything worthwhile until now after digging up and rewriting a lot of my older works.
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

Some notes on this project: The main reason I'm posting it here instead of in its own thread is because it's a short novel that I never quite finished and I'm unsure how far I'm going to get with it. Also, this prologue falls just short of one-thousand/two-page minimum as set up by the rules, and so I decided to keep this as somewhat of a trial thing... And with that, I begin Devout.

Devout (A Dark Nostalgia Short Novel)
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, and dark/pseudo-religious themes
Basis: Pokémon Universe (including preexisting/original settings and characters, alternate realities/timescales, and divergent back-stories)
Disclaimer: I own no part of the Pokémon franchise, its properties, subsidies, etc. This story is the work of a fan writer based on the series, though it also includes some of my own creations such as characters and settings in it.
______________________________________________________________________________

i-Allegiance

The gods of man… Icons, deities, and symbols all astray from a long-since forgotten truth… All cry blasphemy when that truth is spoken once again…
~Otulp, the Judge-Sovereign of Dark Nostalgia

Canersia stood alone on the upper rim of Sendoff Spring, his husky manlike form casting an ominous shadow across the pool below. Silently he watched, amber eyes glaring, as the landscape changed with the waning twilight.

The darkening woods surrounding the plateau were eerily quiet. Barely enough wind blew to rustle the leaves, much less shift his heavy sheepskin cloak. No creatures, neither man nor beast, living or undead, wandered within a kilometer of this place. It seemed as though Death Himself had reaped the land of its very essence. Yet then, Canersia was not far from that stature. A pity some didn’t show him more respect.

Slowly he turned his gaze downward into the basin. Nearing its heart, a pair of Bibarel swam idly through the pond. For a time, the beavers took no notice of his presence. But suddenly, one stopped and stared him straight in the eye.

“Hey!” she barked, “Who the hell do y’all think you are?”

In response, the monk raised his right hand, aiming the pointed claws on his fingertips directly at his onlooker. Their tips began to glow with a bluish hue, which then mixed with crimson and emerald sparks. Finally the auras transmuted into a globular mass in front of his palm.

“What do you reckon he’s doing?” her boyfriend asked passively.

As the sphere grew, Canersia opened the upper set of eyes atop his brow, focusing them on the twosome below. Black energy waves pulsed away from his body, intensifying the glow of his creation. Once it reached a meter in width, the beast clenched his palm to send the Plasma Bomb flying at his targets. Split seconds later, the Bibarel vaporized into nothingness.

“You never cease to amaze me, Canersia,” a man’s voice spoke to the beast.

An amorphous shadow appeared on the ground off to his right. Ignoring his ally, Canersia sneered upon seeing that the intact spirits of his victims still lingered. Placing his fingertips together, he huffed a banishing sigh and they vanished forever.

“However, Giratina is not just any ordinary Pokémon. The Renegade was the first outside of Chastity’s Domain to rise against Arceus. He wanted nothing to do with us in the Beginning Time, so why would he now?” the specter continued. After a moment, the monk’s eyes leered at the demon and he started to growl.

“So sure of yourself? Even a beast bound to the World of Beyi Quofyi may not be able to subjugate this monstrosity...”

Snorting, Canersia opened up a dimensional tear in the immediate time-space. Then he cocked his head back and cried to the heavens with his arms held out wide. A burst of light focused into a marble-sized point, releasing radiant beams of energy into the wormhole in front of Canersia as it condensed. Lastly, the monk closed his hands and the anomalies disappeared altogether.

The shadow creature prepared to leave Canersia to himself, when the monk gestured for him to stay with a simple glance. After fifteen minutes had passed, the earth heaved upwards and rocks tumbled into Sendoff Spring’s watery basin. During the quake, both Canersia and his partner could just vaguely hear the ungodly wails of the accursed monster residing in the ruins below.

“Perhaps I was mistaken…”

Canersia nodded, knowing well that this shallow display of his prowess had been uncalled for. But force always justified itself no matter the end result.

Exhaustedly the monk forced open another wormhole several feet behind him. His partner wasted no time entering the portal. Shutting his eyes, Canersia sighed to bid this universe farewell and backed slowly into the rift. Once inside, he sealed the tear in the dimensions seamlessly so that the others would not discover that he had been there.

<End Prologue>
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

Mmm… Well, I’ve been kind of debating on whether or not to post something related to my current theme for a while now, but to avoid sounding like I was just spazzing about it again, I decided not to. But, the other day I found sudden inspiration from my observations and suddenly broke down and wrote this anyways… Hopefully, no one will mind it since it’s a part truth nowadays. It was just that I never took too well to the whole “Real Men Wear Pink” and similar fads promoting guys to express their feminine sides more openly, which for me isn’t really much aside from an acute love of cute and dainty things as well as a strong attitude of workmanship towards doing housework. But in any case, enjoy!

Nothing Wrong With That?

Boys can love cute, sweet, and girly things too.
This much, I’m sure, most would agree to be true.
A man who loves pink
Is no longer what you’d think.
And, if he is, does it matter anyways?

Still most guys will hesitate,
But not of out hate,
When it comes to buying pretty ribbons or pink bows.
The reason isn’t secret, as I’m sure almost everyone knows…
To most guys, it’s not what looks it’s what pays!

Yet why I still wonder
We hold such a blunder
As a partial truth to this modern day.
It isn’t a standard or even some stone-set way,
Just “girlish” boys seem a bit frowned upon, like always…

But with all this said,
It may’ve just been my head
Saying, “Being a slight feminine’s not so wrong.”
Alas, this feeling’s never been strong,
And my cutesy attitude seldom stays.

I guess such is my curse,
Though I suppose it could be worse.
At least it’s all clean,
Not something obscene.
Suffice it to say, girlish quirks have okays.
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

I'm a little tired of the inactivity here, so I'm posting a few short poems to help make up for the lack of otherwise more serious updates. Enjoy!

Twilight's Beckons

1. Wolf walks twilit paths.
Aware of vernal beauty,
he keeps a slow pace.

2. Hawk-eyed demon stalks
prey through darkest night shadows.
Cries the Great Horned Owl!

3. Twilight gleams over land.
Sunset reflections at sea.
Dolphins splash day's end.

4. Shadows greet masked
critters scavenging garbage.
Raccoons' breakfast time.

5. Wandering forest,
Coyote seeks moonlit pleasure,
hunting wounded deer.

6. Twin-striped mammal wafts
his vile odor warningly as
he takes evening walks.

Side note: Not all of these are particularly haiku, just in the general form of it.
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

Apollo the Incinermyn said:
1. Wolf walks twilit paths.


2. Hawk-eyed demon stalks
prey through darkest night shadows.
Cries the Great Horned Owl!

3. Twilit gleams over land.

On these: I noticed that you misspelled twilight twice - was that intentional? I also enjoyed #2, very menacing and sharp. Creative and great choice of words! Great job on the rest as well.
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

Twilit is an actual word. It means to be lighted by or as if by twilight.

Great work, Apollo. My favorite was Nothing Wrong With That. :3
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

@Pokenerd: I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on the second poem I wrote with "twilit" instead of "twilight," since "twilight" would probably have been more approapriate, but the first was supposed to have "twilit" in it as it describes what TDL said (i.e. the term being used to describe forests paths that were lit by twilight's muted light). Still, nice to hear you enjoyed those poems. =3

@TheDarkLucario: Thanks. That poem in particular, though, I kind of had to wrap my mind around first before posting. Originally I wasn't going to, since I was a little afraid I was going to set off some red flags with the issue of "gender-bending" or mild reference thereof (that, and I'm pretty sure I've driven everyone nutso enough with the cute/girly Pokemon themes I'd been experimenting with the past few months). In any case, I did it anyways, and I guess I just tend to be too nervous about people reading into things the wrong way. Personally, I'd have loved to have had that one all in Pink like the rest of my posts have been recently, but forum rules dominate over my works as well.
 
RE: Incinermyn's Compiled Short Stories and Poetry Thread (PG to PG-13)

New poems are coming soon. This is the first of three I completed in the past couple days, but I'm just posting them one at a time until I can complete the others. Also there may be more to come too. Critique away, and point out any flaws or shortcomings since I'm kind of new to writing acrostic poems.

“Lamentation” (PG-13 for Dark Themes)

Lonely creature staring back at me…
A glimpse of thine suffering do I not see?
Moments pass undaunted in the still water.
Enemies then slashed you as if unholy slaughter.
Nothing screams worse than the loss of one’s brothers,
Though it seems that Lord God has since taken two others.
An agreement I’ve made to stay at Golbania’s side.
Tonight, yet, I’m afraid I should quiver and hide.
Initiation was too fierce, that as much as I’d hate to admit.
Overlooking the serpents, I knew this was it…
Now was the moment I’d die, when I hear their Lamentation!

Fakemon Featured: Golbania
 
“Nostalgia” (PG-13 for Dark Themes)

Never shall I forget the pain that he hath dealt me…
Overwhelming are the agony, the embarrassment, and the outrage I recall upon remembering his face.
Sorely I’ll exude my streams of wrath until the day on which my vengeance is set free.
True to this promise will I hold, and escape from this place
Arceus had imprisoned me all those eons ago.
Leyi-geyi’s only son clearly knew me not well…
Graciously, Foremother sees me through to rectify his wrongs with all that she did sow.
Ill-will for us runs so deep, it goes straight into H*ll.
A vendetta soon cast aside for imperial reign, as the Original One’s godly might caves to Nostalgia again.

Fakemon Featured: Otulp
 
Alright, I figure that since this forum is starting to see some significant activity again, I'm going to get the lead out finally and resurrect my writing projects for summertime. Right now, this is just a minor update, but will soon be making more significant ones.

The Storm's Wrath

1.) Wind howls through the trees,
signifying the approach
of a mighty storm.

2.) Storming winds ravage
lands far and near, bringing forth
widespread destruction.

3.) Eyes to the sky, all
watched in amazment as the
tornado touched down.
(Storm chaser's perspective)
 
Meh, I took a little time out this weekend to try and work on something for this thread again so I can at least have all of my projects active without bumping them just for attention. I'm not so fond of this story, since I never really finished it, but I did get around to sort of completing chapter one finally.

I-Devotion

“Two entities whom never should have met,” spoke the voice of a man throughout the semi-darkened plane of Nostalgia, “Cross paths in the Space-Time Rift, their strife tears at the very boundaries of Leyi Quofyi, damaging the physical realm beyond even Golbania’s power to mitigate.”

The coal-black silhouette of a wolf’s disembodied head slowly manifested itself, hovering more than eight feet above the lavender tiles checkering the ground. His brow was adorned with a golden crest that lay atop a listless pair of bloodshot amber eyes. Around the beast’s neck, he possessed a solid gold collar interlaced and bordered with silver. Likewise, his pointed ears both had several iron earrings the seemed to emanate an omnipotent aura in conjunction with his other jewelry.

“Brothers born unto Arceus, that b*stard child of Watcher Humility. Neither aware of their heritage, and never to know of my claims on their souls… That is, until now.”

“What is it you wish of me, My Liege?” another man asked behind him.

From a dark mass, a specter emerged off to the entity’s right side. Overall the phantom had a stout humanoid form with scrawny arms and no visible legs. Long black wisps flowed from the demon’s shoulders like streamers in the wind, as did a similar ash-white mane trail from his head. With a glint of lustful pleasure in his eye, Darkrai gazed over his jagged red upon the regal creature next to him.

Suddenly Otulp revealed one of his paws from underneath his transparent mane, a massive foot with devilish red claws. Just above it, Darkrai saw that he wore a silver anklet studded with several gold bumps. When the charm glistened, the ghost recoiled in utter terror as though he’s instantly relived his most horrific memories.

“Yi cu-seth lyi qual…” the beast reprimanded, glancing slightly towards him. As I speak, your voice is treason…

Withdrawing the appendage, Otulp stared longingly at the blackened skies overhead. Shirking his fear, Darkrai followed his master’s lead and did the same.

“Unbridled their chaos has reached a terrifying level. Inevitably, I fear that it may even consume this hallowed realm. And then…”

“Your Majesty? I don’t under…”

Flicking his ear, the wolf interrupted, “You have failed me before, Darkrai. Defecting from Canersia’s cause and seeking power all your own. Those who betray my will, betray Foremother’s as well. I am not of a mind to forgive that, you know?”

Gasping for a second, Darkrai watched as the beast twisted his neck down and bared his crimson fangs. Otulp’s exhales smelled of rotting flesh and the raspy whispers of past victims seemed to escape with each breath. No doubt the souls within his maw suffered excruciating pain beyond all fathoming, but was he about to be next…?

“I understand, My Lord,” Darkrai squealed.

“Canersia awaits, and the Renegade with him. Seek the Traitor at the misty pool, and I shall reaccept your loyalty,” Otulp continued.

Darkrai bowed and then listened at his master’s final declaration, “Never forget… Should My Memories die, so too shall all others…”

Once he’d gone, the beast sighed, “Woe unto them…for they have gone the way of Cain…”
______________________________________________________________________________

The forests beneath Fogbound Lake were unusually quiet as Canersia trekked down their mist-strewn paths alone. As always, the monk welcomed the solitude. It was, after all, the way he had lived since being exiled from his pack centuries ago.

Slowly he approached the woodland’s heart. Numerous ponds surrounded the skewed statue of Lord Groudon situated right before the entry caves leading into the massive plateau, each filled by the deluges from the overflowing source above. The creature looked at the edifice only briefly, disgusted the God of Earth would be disgraced by his likeness in this area… But then, his wasn’t the only visage misrepresented.

Standing in front of a nearby pool, the six-foot-tall humanoid glared vacantly at the distorted image of himself with his four glowing eyes. Unlike the others in his tribe, The Ascetic had a less than perfected physique, not generally weak yet hardly muscular. His face had become fused with a copper mask that covered his real eyes and forehead, while on the reverse side he bared the ominous tattoo of a lupine pawmark with an amber-iris eyeball on its pad. He wore a heavy sheepskin cloak that otherwise enrobed his tan hide including the blackened ring around his neck and the triplet scars down his back given to him by his birth father. As final symbols of his religiousness, the beast wore silver bracelets around his wrists and his ankles.

“Are you ready?” his partner Darkrai beckoned.

Sighing, the beast clenched his fist and summoned a large golden rod with a violet orb at its end to carry. Closing his upper eyes, the wolf-man glared back at his comrade as if wanting to suddenly kill him for disturbing the tranquility.

“What’s wrong? If we do not start our mission soon, then…” the phantom hesitated. Canersia sneered, causing the sphere atop his scepter to glow brightly. Lashing it back over his shoulder, a stream of purple energy dropped from it as though it were a rope.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Darkrai formed a black orb in his right hand. Canersia instantly snapped his whip and struck down his ally as cruelly as he could. Even with the Scepter of Death’s element-neutralizing powers, he knew Chastise still didn’t have the same potency on pure Dark Pokémon that it would on other species.

“Stupid questions from an ignorant mind. Am I correct, Canersia?” a terrifying voice echoed from all around them. The monk nodded as gallons of water drenched his cloak.

In the wake of the sudden downpour, the shadow of a massive serpent appeared. Its enormous form looked much like a thick tube that gradually thinned into a cone, with three spikes protruding from the sides of its abdomen. The demon also had six tendrils coming from what looked to be an exterior ribcage, and a triangular head that seemed to split in half as monster rose from the depths.

The creature slammed into the ground off to Canersia’s right with quaking force. Then Giratina let out a terrifying howl, intense pain surging as his transformation began.

“Damn you, both! How dare you question my logic?” Darkrai scowled, recovering from Canersia’s strike.

“Logic is exactly what you lack,” Giratina spoke as he finally adjusted to his earthly form.

Stomping forward, the half-upright behemoth eyed Darkrai with a spiteful grin. He spread his phantasmal wings wide and reached their blood-red tips towards him, readying to attack. Canersia howled just then to draw their attention.

“Nostalgia’s King has informed me well of the situation, but that does not excuse his arrogance!” the monster beseeched, “Do not forget; it was he who betrayed you and the Judge-Sovereign previously, not I.”

The wolf-man glared at them both, Giratina with his upper eyes and Darkrai with his lower ones. What Giratina said was true…and it happened in this reality’s timeline no less. Several years ago when they last faced Dialga at Temporal Tower, Darkrai abandoned Canersia mid-fight, leaving him for dead while the specter tried to decimate the structure itself. And for all the effort, the results were all fruitless to Lord Otulp.

Closing his eyes, Canersia huffed. Giratina nodded, as did Darkrai.

“We shall reconvene atop, then,” the behemoth spoke and then faded into the mist. Darkrai sifted into the earth and darted away as a shadow.

Canersia created an opening in the Time-Space Continuum. Wormholes were always an efficient means of travel, far more so than lumbering about the labyrinthine caverns here anyways. He gave a pleasured sigh, though, at the thought that he was the only of the three whom could precisely control their outlets. Also were this mission to be successful, they’d all have the full powers of the multiverse at their disposal.

The monk staggered awkwardly into the event horizon, his arms relaxed at his sides as he crossed it so he wouldn’t risk injury upon exit. He instantly emerged in a cavernous trail leading out of Steam Cave.

Despite general appearances, the area seemed quite serene. Jagged peaks gave way to a pristine view of the moonless sky. At the far end of the valley, a rocky lakeshore became visible with a luminous green upsurge rising near the water’s heart. Various dots of pink, purple, and blue flashed around the plume, giving it an even more ethereal appeal thanks to the Volbeat and Illumise whom lived here. To him, though, this sight was insignificant; geysers were geysers, nothing more and nothing less!

While Canersia began his approach, the ground suddenly heaved. Two sets of five elongated claws emerged from the earth near the outlet, followed immediately by the pair of large red mitts they belonged to. Grabbing the land, they virtually tore a fissure towards the intruding monk. However, as the ground split beneath his feet, Canersia made his body levitate safely over it.

“Infidel!” an angry voice roared, a pair of golden reptilian eyes peering from the crack, “You shan’t prevail!”

Irritated by his attacker’s conceit, Canersia summoned several orbs of hellfire to his sides. In a triad of rings, the ebony flames swirled around him until he neared his subterranean assailant. Then they launched toward the monster, hitting him in rapid succession. The beast gave out a horrifying cry, which was followed immediately by a thunderous rumbling.

Boulders rained upon Canersia and crushed him wholly save for his left forepaw that protruded from the pile’s lakefront face. For a moment, it twitched but then stopped and rested flat on the ground.

“Pity. I had no intention of killing you,” spoke a child-like voice nearby, “However, you left me no choice.”

Within a shimmer of light, the outline of a twin-tailed pixie appeared in front of the pile. The creature was no larger than a foot, with light-blue skin as well as a golden hemispherical crown and face. Embedded in his crest and fanned tail-tips were a matching set of ruby-like jewels that glistened as Uxie gazed down at Canersia’s palm with his twitching eyelids.

“But… Who were you?” Uxie questioned, shaking his head.

Suddenly something struck the imp from behind, forcing him to the ground. The whip snapped at his back again and Uxie’s entire body went numb.

‘How the hell did you escape that rockslide? It should’ve killed you for certain!’ the fairy screamed telekinetically, trying to breach Canersia’s mind. However, he realized how futile his attempt was; the monk’s mind seemed flooded by so many traumatic memories and built-up aggression that no other Psychic Pokémon could possibly infiltrate it.

Canersia approached the entity sluggishly, a little fazed by the assault he’d just narrowly evaded. The illusion he’d created for Uxie to witness while he counterattacked from the enemy’s blind spot finally vanished once he loomed over the helpless pixie. To believe such a frail thing was supposedly one of the three who kept Lord Otulp from entering this part of Leyi Quofyi unfazed.

The monk’s eyes locked onto the jewel in the imp’s brow. He recognized it immediately as a Nostalgia Crystal. Such jewels were rare and neutralized all feelings of lust, savagery, and anguish respectively depending on the type of shard; however, this one seemed different. Its source of power appeared to be Uxie himself!

Telekinetically raising his victim to about shoulder height, Canersia held out his right hand off to his side. As if from nowhere, a golden dagger materialized in his palm that he grasped onto firmly. The weapon had a straight blade with twin-edges and looked fairly medieval.

‘No! Stop! I…’ Uxie quivered as his murderer jabbed the knife deep into his forehead.

In unison, the victim’s eyes opened wide to reveal gold irises with a malevolent gleam to them. Unfazed, he twisted the blade and released the jewel from the Pokémon’s crest. Then he threw the weapon away, summoned the stone into his mitt, and let the imp fall to the ground lifelessly.

Giratina wailed behind the blockage, blasting away the rocks blocking the passage with purple fireballs. As the rubble fell around him and the dying pixie, Canersia deflected the debris with a psychic barrier. The behemoth ambled towards the two while Darkrai scooted ahead of him as a black wisp.

“D*mnation! You finished him already?” Darkrai asked as arose from the earth, perplexed with uncertainty and rage.

“Strange. I would not think one of Arceus’s children to be so easy to kill,” Giratina commented. Canersia closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. Even he knew that something had to be wrong with this situation, but what?

“Shall I dispose of the remains?” the behemoth commented, lurching over to Uxie’s body. The wolf-man nodded and turned for the lakeside. Immediately, the dragon snapped the imp up with his maw and swallowed the prey whole.

“Is this wise?” Darkrai asked as he followed Canersia, “His siblings are sure to notice his death, if not Palkia and Dialga as well!”

“I highly doubt that,” Giratina replied, “The first are not multidimensional beings as we are, and the latter cannot differentiate between the infinite realities as we can.”

He was only half right, of course. Canersia knew that the Mesprit and Azelf in this reality would notice their sibling’s death immediately; Palkia and Dialga, on the other hand, weren’t so quick to realize it, not likely until their mission was completed and Lord Otulp had been freed from the bonds keeping him from entering this reality. Yet still one entity remained whom could easily offset those factors, hence the urgency to destroy this gem before he had a chance to interfere…

Upon reaching the shoreline, Canersia threw the Nostalgia Crystal forward. As it plunked into the water, his allies growled fiercely at him.

“What the hell are you doing?” both then howled. A few seconds later, the jewel burst due to Canersia using Psychic on it. However, the explosion seemed to cause a massive upsurge from below, resulting in the creation of a huge watery column.

“Treachery!” Drakrai yelled.

Canersia summoned the dagger he’d cast aside moments ago to his palm again. As the gusher died down, the beast sensed a presence hidden within it. Instantly he opened his maw and shot a Hyper Beam at the plume’s top. An unseen force repulsed it at him, and forced the monk back several feet.

“Uxie?” Darkrai then asked.

“No! It’s Golbania!” Giratina roared, feeling bloodlust fill through his entire body.

The pale-green shadows of two serpents coiling around one another in perfect form lingered in the thick mist that briefly enveloped the bayside. At thirty-one feet long, any one of the quadruplets who made up the monster known as Golbania would have been a handful in his own right. Trying to handle two of them at once, though, was going to be pure suicide and all three of them knew it.

When the snakes halted their exalted motions, one head rested on top of the other and the second gazed inquisitively at Canersia’s party upside-down. They were almost completely identical, both having grayish-white faces with rusted bands around their heads’ bases and clouded silver eyes that accentuated their undead state of being. The only things setting them apart from each other were their respective markings; the upper one had a long V-shape extending from his mouth to his brow, while the lower one had an equilateral cross between his eyes.

“Yi quay-os…” the upper head spoke. As always…

“Sul-tok!” the lower finished. The traitors!

“Such gall from ones who would know, Sly, Chaste!” Darkrai chuckled.

Giratina spread his wings and shot fireballs at the serpents. Likewise, Canersia shot a second Hyper Beam. The moment the attacks connected, though, the snakes vaporized themselves into an all-consuming fog.

“Their ultimate defense?” Darkrai asked.

“No, but this can be just as dangerous,” Giratina bellowed, “I’ll draw them into my realm. The two of you leave!”

Canersia held his hand out to signal a momentary ceasefire and stop Giratina from charging into a full-blown trap. The monk sent out a weak pulse of psychic energy to detect exactly what Sly and Chaste were planning to do. As the pulse echoed back, he made the instant realization that they were about to wail. Immediately Canersia put up a defensive barrier around him and his allies with Light Screen.

“Vyi-tek mo!” Sly barked.

Then the serpent wrapped his large coils around Darkrai’s body and pulled the specter away from the group. Immediately, Chaste’s head reformed itself in the fogbank and let out an anguished cry that reverberated throughout area as well as the minds of the remaining group members. Canersia wasn’t as fazed but Giratina roared out in horrible pain due to Lamentation’s phantasmal basis. As soon as his brother’s attack ended, Sly threw a nearly asphyxiated Darkrai back at Canersia, who just managed to dodge the living projectile.

Hurting, Giratina finally gasped, “Get us…out of here…Canersia… We are…no match…for them!” Canersia concurred and forcibly used Teleport on the three of them to escape. Once they were gone, Sly and Chaste glanced at each other inquisitively.

‘They hunt the stones that keep Ah-kyi Os Beyi Quofyi under wraps…?’ Sly whispered to his brother telepathically.

‘Indeed, this is not good for anyone… They mean simply to cast ruination upon this realm as vengeance for Watcher Chastity…’ Chaste responded solemnly. Two additional snakes appeared from the pool as well, one bearing a pentagram on his nose and the other with an X-shaped marking under his chin.

‘They shall not escape justice this time… Serenity, with the star on his maw, commented.

‘Destroying two realities already and claiming it is to preserve the domain of Beyi Quofyi doesn’t justify killing the innocent, even if he sees them as opponents… Conviction, with the X mark, agreed. The foursome then faded into nothingness…

<End Chapter One>
 
Simply for the reason that it's a very limited fic that I may or may not get around to completing. That, and some of the episodes might be absurdly short and I'd count them more as mini-sodes than full chapters. Do you think I'd be wise to make a regular thread for it anyhow now that I have more than a less-than-one-thousand word intro with the two combined (honestly, I just expected to post the prologue alone as a one-shot, and didn't think I'd be coming back to Devout period)?
 
I sugest you organize your table of contents in the OP just in case you move to a chapter two.
 
Fair enough. I just didn't think about reorganizing things while I was adding the latest update...
 
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